OK, there is obviously a small weight decrease and an associated cost increase in moving from FORCE to RED. But are there any really functional differences that I should be aware of in making a selection ? For example, in ther past, the RED shifters had front derailleur trim capability lacking in the FORCE; but I hear that this capability has been added to FORCE for 2010. Some people have stated that the FORCE front derailleur is actually stiffer and more positive shifting than the RED.

I will be shifting (pun?) from Dura Ace 7800 to SRAM Force or RED (BB30 on both, by the way). So far, the increase in cost to RED does not seem worth it on weight alone. Any and all comments would be appreciated.

From what I've gathered in other posts on the topic (and I'm sure someone is going to mention to use the search function), Force only has Zero-Loss shifting for the front , not the rear, and Force does not have ceramic bearings for the cranks and the rear derailleur pulleys. Most people will say though that the Force front derailleur is better than Red.

THanks.I did start with a SEARCH, but in my own defense, the search function on this site is very slow, and then, when all the hits come up, it is difficult to tell if the comments apply specifically to the 2010 group components.

With a new Red group coming out next year, I think it is a no brainer to get the 2010 Force. It looks good (IMO), is fairly light, and is affordable. The crank weight on the GXP version is a bit high, but the BB30 Force crank is decent as well.

I've had Red, Force, and Rival on different bikes. I could never tell the "zero loss" for the rear der was missing form the Force or Rival. All of them have it on the front shifting and that is where it was needed.

I have Red shifters and brake calipers on a 09 CAAD9 that is using 2010 Force derailluers front and rear. I am really pleased with the shifting and braking of the bike, I upgraded from 1990 Shimano 105 so it is truly a leap ahead relative to the down tube shifters.

I was able to source Red shifters last year NIB for less than pre-order of 2010 Force shifters and the same for calipers. By shopping around I think you can still get Red shifters and brakes for same or less money than 2010 Force which if nothing else shaves some weight. I don't see any functional difference in the brakes, just shaves some weight. The Red shifters are sweet and I tried Shimano and Campy before building the bike and decided on the RED.

If you are putting a BB30 crank on the bike, the Cannondale SI or SI-SL Hollowgram models are better than the SRAM offerings. I scored a Hollowgram setup for $356 USD and am fully confident in stating that it is superior in materials and design to the SRAM models. In summary if you are buying new parts at market prices you can build the bike with Red shifters and brakes and hopefully have some funds to put toward the Cannondale Hollowgram crank also which will also shave considerable weight.

I've ridden RED for a few years on my weight weenie bike and I've always liked it. Then this past fall I built a CX bike and, to save a little money, I put Force on it. I thought that the Force would be fine, but I was surprised that I ended up LOVING the Force -- it feels great and in some ways I like it better than my RED. So if budget is a concern at all, I'd go with the Force. And given the rather substantial price difference, you could get Force and some aftermarket cranks, or brake calipers, and end up with a lighter-than-RED group for the same price.

I would totally agree about aftermarket cranks and brakes. There are a lot of options for light weight brakes these days that are close to the dollar value of the SRAM offerings but lighter and for cranks there are lots to choose from.

Love the thread... I went with Force because s**t happens to components and they don't last that long.... and by s**t I thought I meant a crash (especially with the shifters which are very over-priced IMHO) but it turned out that I was able to say upright for 15,000km using "The Force" before it turned to the dark side:Bzzzzzt.Get the details from today http://waywardcyclist.wordpress.com/

Thanks for all the inputs!I will continue to be interested in any comments, but as a practical matter, I went ahead and bought a complete 2010 FORCE group. It will robably be another month before I have it together and provide any feedback of my own.

I'm running both on different bikes. My Cervelo has Red and Addict has 2010 Force. Before that I had the original Force. All good stuff.. It's pretty simple as several other's noted, for the money 2010 Force is it. Red is still better because it cost more.. j/k.. The difference between isn't worth it. Save your money and get a nice crankset and brakes. Though the Red and Force brakes work very nice.

All the weights seems honest accept for the Red Front Der. It's stated as it's 58 for braze on, mines is 78.

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